The Last Child
Documentary (54 min.)

The Last Child tells the story of the global campaign to eradicate polio, the dreaded childhood disease that cripples and kills. From the frontlines in Nigeria, India, Haiti and elsewhere, you'll witness the victories and challenges of trying to wipe out only the second disease in history. The polio eradication campaign is the largest non-military, global enterprise ever. It involves dozens of organizations, scores of governments, thousands of health workers and millions of volunteers. In a world of AIDS, malaria and other health crises, the eradication of polio would demonstrate that humankind can triumph over the darker side of nature. The campaign has made remarkable progress, reducing polio cases by a staggering 99%. Yet, as The Last Child shows, health workers face major obstacles in defeating the last 1%. Some communities are refusing polio immunizations. The vaccine is developing dangerous mutations. And some experts now question whether polio can ever be eradicated. But the cost of defeat would be staggering. If the campaign loses steam and immunization rates drop, polio could quickly re-emerge and threaten a whole new generation of children.